Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

We have 1.9 million Australians looking for a job or for more work on this government's watch. We have the worst wages growth on record. We have weak household consumption and retail spending and record household debt at almost double disposable income. Meanwhile, this government is doing nothing about improving the homegrown issues in our economy. Internationally—we read this morning—the IMF has downgraded Australia's estimated growth from 2.1 to 1.7. The OECD has slashed Australia's growth outlook by twice as much as the G20 average. We have the slowest economic growth in a decade and the government is doubling net debt.

Consumer confidence is now at a four-year low. Business investment is down 20 per cent since this government came to power six years ago. Meanwhile, the Morrison government is asleep at the wheel. I have no doubt that we will hear during question time today lots of talk about 'headwinds' and lots of talk about 'global issues'. But you don't fool the Australian public that easily. This is six years of a government that has failed on all of the economic indicators that we are seeing and hearing about in this place. Ordinary Australians, those quiet Australians that Mr Morrison likes to talk about, are hurting. They are hurting in communities all across this country, including the community that I proudly represent in the seat of Lalor. People deserve more than this. People deserve a government that will act.

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